Will Smith: Producer says police were ‘ready’ to arrest actor after he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars

Academy Awards producer Will Packer says Los Angeles police are “ready” to arrest Will Smith after he slapped Chris Rock on the Oscars stage.

Smith, 53, is facing disciplinary action over an altercation with Rock, which was prompted by the comedian’s joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett’s appearance while on stage at the Academy Awards on Sunday (March 27).

the actor Live audience shocked at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles When he walked on stage and hit Rock in the face with an open hand. Smith then returned to his seat, yelling at Rock to keep Pinkett Smith’s name out of his “fucking mouth”.

Smith has since released an official statement apologizing to the comedian.

Now, Oscars producer Will Packer has revealed in an interview coming on today good morning america That the Los Angeles Police Department told Rock they were “ready” to arrest Smith, adding that the slap acted as a “battery.”

“They were saying, you know, this is a battery, it was a word they used at that moment,” Packer said in a clip from the interview released by ABC on Thursday (March 31).

They said: We will go and get it. We’re ready. We’re ready to get it now. You can file charges and we can arrest him. They were making choices,” he continued, adding that Rock was “very dismissive” of the idea.

“He was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine,'” Packer said. “And even to the point where I said, ‘Rock, let them finish.'” LAPD officers finished outlining his options and said, “Do you want us to take any action?” He said “no”.

Packer previously described the moment he hit Smith Rock as “very painful” for him, after one of his tweets was criticized online.

Shortly after the Academy Awards wrapped, Packer tweeted: “Welp…I said it wouldn’t be boring.”

“Black people have such a bold laugh when it comes to dealing with pain because there was so much of it. I don’t feel the need to explain that to you,” Packer He tweeted to his critics. “But I also don’t mind being transparent and [saying] That this was a very painful moment for me. on several levels.

Los Angeles police said after Sunday night’s party that they were aware of the incident and that Rock declined to press charges against Smith.

However, the department declined to comment Thursday on Packer’s interview, a longer version of which will be broadcast on Friday morning (April 1) in the United States.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Wednesday (March 30) that it has begun disciplinary proceedings against Smith for violating its code of conduct. Pending investigation, Smith may be suspended, fired, or punished.

Without giving details, the academy also revealed that Smith was asked to leave the party but he refused. “We know we could have handled the situation differently,” the academy said.

After this adOnline Academy’s ‘helpless hesitation’ has been criticized One user tweeted, “I’m used to the impotent frequency from academy leaders at this point. But the idea that they decisively made the call and then failed to do it is almost the worst version of the story I can think of.”

He not only did not leave the Smith party He won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard Minutes after the accident.

Find the full list of the 2022 Academy Awards winners here. See the latest updates and reactions from the drama hereAnd read about the most important talking points here.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press